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[Jude]

Is that post in support of the law or just trying to give an intolerant prick's viewpoint?

Sarcasm.

No, really, the argumentation is shaky, the only argument which holds ground bein 'that mosques are not a building of belief, but of power', which is very debatable.

Are you Swiss? If so, isn't there something in the Swiss constitution or bill of rights that prevents people's rights from being taken away by referendum?

[G-Flex]

Yes, as well as international law (by which the Swiss abide), arguably.

[Jude]

Is there a move to challenge this on those grounds?

[G-Flex]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_minaret_ban#Opposition

There's a lot of opposition, including the Swiss government itself, the Catholic Church, and other organizations.

Keep in mind this was passed quite recently. It'll probably get challenged soon enough in an official capacity, although I don't know how that works in Switzerland.

[chaoticag]

May I ask a question?

If the government was against it, and it is in violation of the swiss constitution, how the hell did this law get passed? For that matter, why did it get 57% of the votes?

It's like hitting someone in the knee with a baseball bat, then giving a speech to the world about how morally wrong that was.

Also, Switzerland is a democracy, and not a republic like the US, right? That might explain things if that is the case.

[Strife26]

Bingo. One of the problems with direct democracy.

[redacted123]

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[Jude]

May I ask a question?

If the government was against it, and it is in violation of the swiss constitution, how the hell did this law get passed? For that matter, why did it get 57% of the votes?

It's like hitting someone in the knee with a baseball bat, then giving a speech to the world about how morally wrong that was.

Also, Switzerland is a democracy, and not a republic like the US, right? That might explain things if that is the case.

The government didn't like the way the vote turned out, but they were dumb enough to let a valid vote get put out there on a topic that can't be voted on in a country that respects citizens' rights

[Sensei]

Maybe it was meant to stand as an example that Swedish people stand for everyone's rights, and backfired?

[ChairmanPoo]

Bingo. One of the problems with direct democracy.

*giggle* It's not like indirect democracy is turning out much better in that regard

[Gorjo MacGrymm]

i would be mightly surprised if, somewhere in the swiss constitution, the right to build minarets was spelled out.

its funny that people who think this is religous intolerance support the ACLU (and others) when it strips christian symbols............


........just sayin

[Footkerchief]

i would be mightly surprised if, somewhere in the swiss constitution, the right to build minarets was spelled out.

its funny that people who think this is religous intolerance support the ACLU (and others) when it strips christian symbols............


........just sayin

I know Europe is a crazy place and all but I'm pretty sure Switzerland, like the US and the ACLU, distinguishes between public and private property.

[Gorjo MacGrymm]

still gotta get your buidling passed code and all designs approved before construction, at least, in the US, no matter who is building it.  There is no freedom for architectural wankiness, religous or secular.  Its up to the localities to decide for themselves, and rightly so.

[G-Flex]

i would be mightly surprised if, somewhere in the swiss constitution, the right to build minarets was spelled out.

its funny that people who think this is religous intolerance support the ACLU (and others) when it strips christian symbols............


........just sayin

The Swiss constitution doesn't spell out the right to build minarets; it spells out the right to express religion. Banning a specific type of religious structure explicitly kind of goes against it.


And no, the ACLU doesn't go against Christians being able to build things or use their symbols. Except, you know, in government buildings, where they support no religion doing that.

still gotta get your buidling passed code and all designs approved before construction, at least, in the US, no matter who is building it.  There is no freedom for architectural wankiness, religous or secular.  Its up to the localities to decide for themselves, and rightly so.

This makes sense but this law has nothing to do with banning any sort of generic architecture for any generic sort of architectural reason. It is explicitly aimed at a religious group.

[Puzzlemaker]

I live in America, and now that I think about it I haven't seen many minaret's around.  I have seen mosques however.  There is one about ten minutes away... right next to a Greek orthodox church.  And two blocks away is a Korean church.

Sometimes I love being american.